Railway-car door.



No. 870,062.- PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

0. TOWER.

RAILWAY GAB. DOOR. APPLIUATION FILED NHL 4, 1907.

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No. 870,062. PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907;

0. TOWER. RAILWAY OAR DOOR. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 4. 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR TOWER, OF KENMORE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK .E.BLAKESLEE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

RAILWAY-CAR DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed February 4'. 1907.- S rial N 355,553.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, OSCAR TOWER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kenmore, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Oar Doors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a door which is more particularly designed foruse in grain railway cars although the same may also be used in cars forcarrying other kinds of loose or bulk freight.

The object of this invention is to provide a door of this characterwhich is durable and not liable to become disarranged while in use,which can be easily shifted into its operative or inoperative position,and which is so constructed that the fastening devices of the reliefsection are relieved from the pressure of the grain and opening of thissection is made easier.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets: Figure 1 is afragmentary side elevation of a car showing a door opening thereinclosed by my improved door. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectionin line 22, Fig. 4, showing the means for holding the folded door in itsinoperative position next to the roof of the car. Fig. 3 is afragmentary vertical section taken in line 3-3, Fig. 1 and showing thedoor closed. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the sections of the doorfolded and suspended out of the way next to the roof of the car. Fig. 5is a fragmentary vertical section of the lower part of the car door andadjacent parts, showing the relief section swung outwardly into its openposition for permitting the adjacent part of the cargo of grain toescape preparatory to opening the door fully. Fig. 6 is a fragmentaryvertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, in line 66, Fig. 1,and showing the locking de vice for holding the central part of therelief section in its closed position. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary verticallongitudinal section taken in line 77, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

A represents one of the side walls of a grain or similar railway carwhich has a door opening 'B, G the floor and D the roof of the same.

My improved door for closing the opening or door-way of the car consistsessentially of an upper or filling section E, a central or intermediatesection F and a lower or relief section G. The intermediate section issecured at its opposite vertical edges to the lower ends of a pair ofhangers l which are pivoted at their upper ends adjacent to the innerside of the car body adjacent to the roof, as shown at i, so as topermit of swinging these hangers and the parts mounted thereon in avertical plane. These hangers are preferably constructed of angle ironand arranged to bear in the closed position of the door with theirtransverse flanges 1" against the faces of the stiles b and with theirlongitudinal flanges against the inner sides of these stiles. For thepurpose of stiffening the intermediate section of the door, the upperand lower edges of the same are provided with. outwardly-projectinglongitudinal flanges f, f as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The upper section of the door is normally arranged vertically betweenthe hangers I and laps with its lower edge against the inner side of theupper edge of the intermediate section, so as to form a practicallytight joint between the same, as shown in Fig. 3. At its oppositevertical edges the upper door section is provided withoutwardly-projecting vertical flanges e which are pivoted at their lowerends to the transverse flanges of the hangers by rivets e, as shown, orby any other suitable means. While the car is loaded, the

means of fastenings which connect the upper portions of its verticalflanges with the transverse flanges of the hangers, but when the car isto be loaded with grain or similar material, the upper door section isswung outwardly at its upper end into the position shown by dotted linesin Fig. 3, so as to permit of introducing a spout into the car wherebythe grain or similar material is delivered into the interior thereof.The means shown in the drawings, as an example, for holding the upperdoor section in its operative position, consists of two horizontallysliding locking-bolts J mounted in brackets or guide-ways j on the upperpart of the upper door section and each adapted to engage with acorresponding pair of openings or sockets k, Ichin the adjacent verticalflanges of said section and the corresponding hanger, as shown inFig. 1. For the purpose of stiffening this upper door section and enablethe same to more effectually resist the outward thrust of the grainwhich is pressing against the inner side of the same, a horizontalinwardly-projecting flange l is arranged at the upper edge of thissection, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The lower section of the door is arranged within a U-shaped frame whichis preferably constructed of angle iron and comprises a lower horizontalbar having a vertical flange m and a longitudinal flange m projectingoutwardly from the upper edge of the vertical flange, and two uprightside bars each of which has a longitudinal flange n adapted to bearagainst the inner side of one of the door-frame stiles and a transverseflange n projecting outwardly from the inner edge of 5 the flange n andarranged along the face of the adjacent stile. The upper ends of thetransverse flanges n of the side bars extend a short distance abovethrir companion longitudinal flanges and are pivoted to the innor sidesand lower ends of the transverse flanges of the hangers I, as shown at0, so that the U-shaped frame is capable of swinging in a vertical planeand permit of folding the same together with the parts mounted thereonupwardly against the outer side of the intermediate and upper sectionsof the door. Inasmuch as the longitudinal flanges n of the side barsbear against the in- .ner sides of the door-frame stiles in the closedposition of the door, the same is held against outward displacement bythe pressure of the grain within the car.

The lower or relief section G is provided at its bpposite vertical edgeswith outwardly-projecting vertical flanges p which are pivoted at theirupper ends by means of longitudinal rivets or pins P to the upper partof the transverse flanges of the side bars, so as to permit the lowerend of this lower door section to be swung outwardly and upwardly, asshown in full lines in Fig. 5. At its lower edge the lower door sectionis provided with a longitudinal outwardly projecting flange (1 which isadapted to engage with the outwardly-projecting flange m of the lowerframe-bar, while the upper edge of the lower door section in its closedposition is adapted to engage with the inner side of the lower part ofthe intermediate door section and form a tight joint between the same,as shown in Fig. 3.

While the grain door is in use the lower section is held in its closedvertical position by means of a locking or holding device, as shown infull lines in Fig. 3. Various means may be employed for holding thelower section in its closed position. As shown in Fig. 1, the oppositeends of the lower section are held in place by 40 horizontal slidingbolts R which are guided in guideways or brackets T on said section andengage with corresponding openings r r formed in the adjacent transverse flanges of the lower section and the side bars of the U-shapedframe.

The fastening whereby the central part of the lower section is securedto the horizontal bar of the U-shaped frame consists of a flat stud Sprojecting outwardly from the lower part of this section, an uprightcoupling bar T pivoted at its lower end to an eye t on the verticalflange m and provided at its upper end with a slot to which is adaptedto receive said stud, and a locking cam 1 pivoted at the upper end ofthe bar T and adapted to be moved by a handle V into and out ofengagement with a notch s in said stud.

Upon releasing the lower door section the pressure of the grain againstthe inner side of the same pushes it outwardly, thereby permitting thegrain in the immediate vicinity of the door to escape and thus relievethe pressure against the door so as to permit of opening the same fullywith greater ease. In order to relieve the pressure or strain on thelocking devices which hold the lower door section in its closedposition, the cooperating longitudinalgtransverse flanges g, m of thelower section and the frame in which the same is mounted are bothinclined so that they rise toward their outer ends, as best shown inFigs. 3 and 6. By this means cooperating shoulders formed on these partswhereby the outward thrust of the grain against the lower section at thelower end thereof is transmitted by its horizontal flange (1 against theopposing flange m of the frame, thereby relieving the fastening devicesfrom some of the pressure and enabling the same not only to be releasedmore easily but also avoiding straining the same and possibly renderingthe same inoperative. Inasmuch as'the cooperating inclined shoulders ofthe U-shaped frame and the lower door section formed by the flanges g, mprevent this door section from swinging outwardly while in its lowermostposition, means are provided to permit this door section to rise bodilyso that its flange or shoulder q may clear the opposing flange m of theUshaped frame and enable this doorsection to swing outwardly. Thepreferred means for effecting this purpose consists in constructing theopenings w in the flange p which receive the pivots P in the form ofupright slots, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7. These slots are of suflicientlength to permit the requisite vertical movement of the lower doorsection in the frame for clearing its lower end from the correspondingpart of said frame. This lifting movement of the lowerdoor section iseffected automatically by the pressure of the grain against the innerside of the same which causes the lower door section to rise as itslower flange q rides upwardly on the flange 'm of the frame until itclears the same.

In order to produce a tight joint between the lower bar of the U-shapedframe and the floor of the car, an IL-shaped packing strip :0 is securedto this bar so as to bear against the floor in the closed position ofthe door, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

After the pressure of the grain in the immediate vicinity of the doorwayhas been relieved by the opening of the lower door section, the lattertogether with its frame are folded upwardly against the outer side ofthe intermediate and upper sections and while in this relative positionthe several sections together are swung on the pivots i inwardly andupwardly close to the roof of the car where they are retained in asuspended position by a supporting bail or retainer. This bail orretainer preferably consists of a horizontal longitudinal bar y adaptedto engage with the underside of the lower door section and two uprightarms y, y projecting upwardly from opposite ends of the longitudinal barand pivoted at their upper ends to the underside of the car roof or topso as to be capable of swinging in the vertical plane. Preparatory tofolding and suspending the door next to the roof of the car, thesupporting bail is swung inwardly so that the folded door will clear thesame upon being moved to its highest position after which the bail. isswung with its horizontal bar underneath the folded door and thussupports the same.

I claim as my invention:

1. A railway car door comprising an intermediate section, hangersconnected at their lower ends with opposite vertical edges of saidintermediate section and pivoted at their upper ends on the car body, anupper section pivoted at its lower end on said hangers, means fordetachably (,OllllQCtll'lg the upper part of said upper section withsaid hangers, and a lower section pivotally connected with saidintermediate section, substantially as set forth.

2. A railway car door comprising an intermediate sec tion, hangersconnected at their lower ends with opposite vertical edges of saidintermediate section and pivoted at their upper ends on the car body, anupper section pivoted at its lower end on said hangers, means fordetachably connecting the upper part of said upper section with saidhangers, a Ushaped frame having a lower horizontal bar adapted to bearranged at the floor of the car and two upright side bars which areconnected at their lower ends 10 with the horizontal bar while theirupper ends are pivoted to the lower ends of said hangers, a lowersection pivoted at its upper end on said side bars, and means fordetachably connecting the lower end of said lower section with the lowerpart of said frame, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 22nd day of January, 1907.

OSCAR TOWER.

Witnesses THno. L. POPP, E. M. GRAHAM.

